This invention relates to surgical scrubs and wound disinfectants more particularly to a surgical scrub and wound disinfectant that has enhanced antimicrobial activity, cleansing and degreasing properties, as well as being gentle and soothing to the skin.
Surgical scrubs are well known in the art. Surgical scrubs are used to prepare the patient's skin before a surgical or operative procedure. The surgical scrub is used to mechanically cleanse the area of the skin to be cut by the surgeon's scalpel, to degrease the skin, remove perspiration and dead skin cells, and to kill bacteria found on the skin. Antibacterial activity is necessary so that the surgeon's scalpel does not introduce bacteria into the incision and promote wound infection. Surgical scrubs are used to kill microorganisms on the skin, particularly, staphylococcus aureus, methicillen-resistant staphylococcus aureus, escherichia coli, pseudomonas aeruginosa and candida albicans. An ideal skin scrub has detergents for cleaning along with detergent emulsifiers for degreasing the skin as well as antimicrobial agents that kill bacteria instantly upon contact.
Two examples of pre-operative skin care products or scrubs well known in the art are Betadine, which has the active antimicrobial ingredient povidone iodine and Hibiclens which incorporates the active microbial agent chlorhexidine gluconate. There are a number of "generic" products available to users that incorporate the same active ingredients as the aforementioned examples. However, povidone iodine can stain the skin, bed linens, and user's hands. Neither povidone iodine nor chlorhexidine gluconate are suited to use on an open wound or pour onto a laceration or abrasion. Benzalkonium, a quaternary ammonium disinfectant consisting of a mixture of alkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chlorides, is used as a germicide for instruments, etc., but is poorly suited for human skin. It is used as an antiseptic for skin preoperatively in veterinary cases, but is not suited for a surgical scrub because it is incompatible with anionic detergents, such as soap, which are needed to cleanse and degrease the perioperative area.
Various other prior art patents that relate to the subject matter of this invention, pertaining to a form of surgical scrub composition or instrument, include the U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,895, entitled "Disinfectant Compositions," and which defines an improvement in a disinfectant composition. As can be seen, it contains a phenol, an alcohol, ammonium salts, and a chlorphenol, embodied in an aqueous solution, to function as a disinfectant for destruction of bacteria, fungi, and fungal and bacterial spores.
The patent to Irani, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,644, describes an antiseptic composition which does contain a phenolic or quaternary ammonia, functioning as a bacteriacide, and which is applied to sanitizing compositions, antiseptic detergent compositions, cosmetic compositions, and the like.
The patent to Goldhaft, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,628, also discloses a disinfectant composition made up of quaternary ammonia, a phenol or derivative thereof, and formaldehyde. It is used to fight bacteria, and has its most effective usage in the treatment of poultry and animal husbandry.
The patent to Mayhew, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,449, defines a phosphate quaternary compound. It has the formula as shown in the abstract, and it can be seen from its column 3 of the patent that it is compatible with human tissue, etc., and apparently can be used with only slight irritation when applied during medical treatment. The patent also defines its composition can be used in shampoos, or the like. But, it appears that this particular compound is more phosphate based, in its formulation.
The patent to Selega, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,112, defines a medicated hair and scalp condition. Its ingredients include a petrolatum, a mineral wax, a polyoxyethylene, and sulfur. It is primarily used as hair and scalp conditioning composition.
The patent to Sipos, U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,257, discloses a potentiated medicament. It is an antimicrobial composition, incorporating quaternary ammonia compounds, antifungal agents, phenols, and a variety of antiseptics, antibiotics, and the like. It is used as a surgical scrub solution, and foruse as a topical wound dressing, particularly where the presence of blood and wound exist. More specifically, the patent describes that it is a antimicrobial composition, which incorporates a cyclohexyl phneol, having a particular structure, containing a total number of carbon atoms within its alkyl group, wherein the antimicrobial agent is a member selected from a particular group of antibiotics, etc., including quaternary ammonia compounds, as defined.
The patent to Mayhew, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,385, defines a phosphate imidazolinium compound. It is for use for a variety of purposes, including in shampoos. It composition defines a phosphate quatenary compound having a very distinct formula, including phosphate, chloride, incorporating various alkyl groups of seven to seventeen carbon atoms, within its composition.
The patent to Columbus, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,228, does disclose a sterilization dressing device and method for skin puncture. This dressing device includes a cover sheet and a gel medium attached to the cover sheet, having a sterilizing agent therein, and for use for apparently disinfecting the portion of the skin being analyzed, and to maintain sterility, when a biopsy needle, or the like, is applied.
The patent to Bansemir, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,659, discloses another type of disinfectant composition. It is a liquid material, for use as a disinfectant, having at least one microbicidial quatenary ammonium compound, a biguanide compound, and at least one microbicidal phenolic compound. It is in liquid form, and is used for disinfectant purposes. It also states, though, that its compound can be used for surface disinfectant in hospitals, schools, public baths, public transport, and in commercial establishments such as hotels and laundries.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,911, to Goldhaft, et al, is similar to the disinfectant composition as previously patented by these inventors, as earlier explained in U. S. Pat. No. 4,125,628. It is a disinfectant composition, containing quaternary ammonia, phenol and formaldehyde.
Canadian patent No. 1,132,990, defines a process for preparation of phosphorous containing surface active agents. It is a phosphorous-containing reactant, containing an amine, for producing certain phosphobetain compounds.
In summary, the antimicrobial compounds known to the art, but not necessarily combined with skin soothing ingredients, detergents or emulisifiers to produce and acceptable surgical scrub, include, as previously detailed, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,911 to Goldhaft, et al, which discloses a disinfectant composition comprising a dimethyl quaternary ammonium halogen salt a phenol, and formaldehyde for use in the poultry and animal husbandry fields. U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,895 to Pearson, et al. discloses multiple phenolic compounds; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,644 to Irani, et al. discloses an antiseptic composition containing phenolic antimicrobials potentiated with phosphonic acid derivatives.
None of the above examples teaches a combination of the claimed antimicrobial agents (i.e. a quaternary ammonium compound and substituted phenol) and degreasing emulsifiers and detergents as well as skin softeners and soothing agents. More importantly, the present invention is novel in the use of a compatible quaternary ammonium compound with a substituted phenolic compound such as chloroxylenol or parachlormetaxylenol to obtain enhanced antimicrobial action at lower chemical concentrations.